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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

No. 316,112. Patented Apr. 21, 1885.

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N PETERS. Fhnlolllhugmphbr. \Vnshirvgmn, n. c

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. E. CAREY.

ELECTRIC CLOCK MOVEMENT.

No. 316,112. Patented Apr. 21, 1885 JWagtne'A-om Ehumnkor;

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I L My- N. PETERS. Fhom-Lvflmgmphnr. Washmgtun. D. C.

Ni rite STATES JULIAN n. CAREY, on NEW YORK, n. r.

ELECTRIC-CLOCK MOVE M ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,112, Audi 21, 1885.

Application filed March 8, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, JULIAN E. CAREY, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inElectric-Clock Movements; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full and exact description thereof.

The objects of my invention are to produce a movement for electricclocks which shall be sufficiently simple and cheap to allow itsintroduction into general use, and which shall be so constructed as topreclude the possibility of occasional failure either in consequence ofthe improper reception of the electric impulses or of parts of themechanism getting out of order.

I am aware that electric-clock movements are in existence which operatesatisfactorily; but such movements are of complicated construction, andfor this reason alone very eX- pensive, while, in order to insure acontinuous good service, the delicate parts of such movements requirefrequent inspection. I have ascertained by repeated and prolongedexperiments that with my invention these difficulties are overcome,since the peculiar arrangement of parts insures an efficient andreliable service without necessitating frequent examinations of theapparatus, the simplicity of the latter at the same time permitting itto be offered at such prices as will greatly advance the general use ofthe electric time system.

In order to insure against accidental turning of the hand-movingmechanism, I have devised a combination of stops arranged to engage withthe wheel which is driven by the action of the armature, so that thesaid wheel is at no time free to turn in either direction, except whenthe propelling-pawl is brought into position for action, and then themotion of the parts which cause said pawl to act is such that the wheelcan turn only the required distance in the desired direction, becomingagain locked by the very termination of such motion. I am aware thatthis effect has partly been produced prior to my invention by theemployment of a retaining-pawl or of analogous devices; but all suchdevices have required the employment of an extra pivot, and also in manycases the act-ion of springs, whereby the construction was madeexpensive and the apparatus more delicate. The stops used by me for thispurpose, while more efficient, may be made very cheap, either bystamping up the metal or otherwise, particularly when manufactured inlarge quantities.

Certain minor details of the invention not particularly mentioned here,but claimed, will be fully described in the followin The accompanyingdrawings form a part of this specification, and represent what Iconsider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a back view of the movement. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a front view. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams, the formershowing the wheel moving and retain ing parts and their relation to thewheel in the position of rest, and the latter showing the same partsafter they have been lifted to move the wheel one step. Fig. 6 is a viewon a larger scale, corresponding to Fig. 1, certain portions beingbroken away. Fig. 7 is a plan in section on the line 00 m, Fig. 6,showing certain portions of the mechanism.

The frame of the mechanism is composed of the front plate, a, smallerback plate, a, and posts a a. The electro-magnet B, which re ceives theelectric impulses at given intervals from a suitable source, (notrepresented,) is mounted by means of a screw, b, upon an angle-plate, b,the hole in the latter, through which the screw 1) passes being formedas a slot, as shown at 1), Figs. 1 and 6, so as to al low the magnet tobe adjusted vertically. The lateral adjustment of the magnet withrelation to its armature O is effected by means of a slot, a throughwhich pass the screws a", which fasten to the plate I) to the main platea.

It Will be seen that a peculiar advantage is gained by this adjustmentof the magnet 13, which permits the locating and securing ot' the magnetin a vertical line, after a lateral adjustment has been fixed, withoutin anyway disturbing it; and the reverse is also true,that when avertical adjustment has been deter mined and fixed a lateral adjustmentmay afterward be made without in the slightest affecting the verticaladjustment already made. This arangement allows the armature to be atonce fixed permanently with relation to the parts operated by it, andrequires no further displacement. The armature O is supported at thecenter c,and it is normally held away from the poles of electro-magnet Bby the overbali the teeth 9 gin such manner that either tooth ancingweight of the parts that it acts upon when energized. The latter partsconsist of a bell-crank lever, the arms thereof being lettered D and E.These arms are fastened upon the shaft F,so that both are compelled tomove together.

The arm D consists of a substantially downward-projecting part the lowerextremity of which is formed on one side with an arm, d, the latterbeing bent so as to reach behind that side of the armature O which facesthe poles of the electro-1nagnet,where it carries an adj Listing-screw,d,which bears against the said face of armature G. On the opposite sidethe extremity of the arm D carries one, d of the abovementioned stops,the latter reaching across the periphery of the minute-wheel G. The armE carries near its extremity the pawl c, pivoted at e and arranged so asto be able to co-operate with the teeth of the wheel G. About midwaybetween the center of the axis F and thepin c is arranged the other, 0of the above-mentioned stops. 1) is a safetystop attached to the plate bor to any other part of the fixed frame. This stop serves to prevent thearm E from ever rising too high in case of accidental derangement of anyof the other parts of the mechanism. The wheel G has sixty teeth, and isfastened upon the shaft 9, which carries the minute-hand. (Notrepresented.) A pinion, 9, upon the shaft 9 engages with a wheel, H, thepivot of which is firmly set in the bridge piece a. A second pinion, h,fastened to the wheel H, extends through the plate a and engages on thefront thereof with the wheel I upon the sleeve t'. The train g H h I isthe ordinary train for transmitting the proper motion from theminute-shaft to the hour-hand, and does not, therefore,require anyfurther detailed description.

The general operation of the mechanism is very simple and requires onlya few words to be fully understand, upon which the efi'ect of the stopsd e in the co-operation with the wheel G will be fully and minutely setforth.

It is evident that when the armature O is attracted by the energizing ofthe magnet B the arm D, by means of its extension (I, and consequentlythe axis F and arms E, will be rocked so as to raise the arm E, with itspawl e, the latter engaging with the tooth following the one that it wasengaged with at the preceding moment. WVhen the armature is thenreleased, the weight of the lever B will cause a rocking of the systemupon the axis F in the opposite direction. Thereby the wheel G is turnedone step, moving both hands through the proper connections, as desired.

Considering, now, Figs. 4c and 5, it will be noticed that with themechanism at rest, as in Fig. 4-, the stop cl is out of engagement, thepawl 0 appears as not resting upon the upper side of the tooth giwhichit was engaged with at the preceding operation, and the two sides of thetriangular stop 6 are engaged between is in firm contact (due to theweight of the arm E) with a side of the stop 0. Thus eonditioned thelatter prevents the wheel G from being turned by any force that,underordinary circumstances, might be brought to act on it accidentally. It,now, the bell-crank lever D E on shaftF beginsa rocking motion, the pawl6 will rise over the tooth g and the stop 0' gradually leaves the spacebetween the teeth g,- but before it has left said space completely,whereby the wheelG would become liberated, the stop (1 enters betweenthe teeth g and in its turn locks the wheel G. On the succeedingdownward motion, now, of the parts, the top (2- begins immediately torecede from between the teeth g 9 so that, upon the pawl 6 coming incontact with the tooth 9", it can begin to turn the wheel, the inclinedlower side of stop (I permitting such motion, said stop recedinggradually, as required, by the forward motion of the wheel,while anaccidental return motion of the wheel would still be pre vented by theupper face of stop (Z coming in contact with the lower side of toothuntil the stop has completelyleft the space between teeth g but at thatmoment the tooth ghas already passed under the point of stop 0*, and thelatter has entered the space between teeth 9 and thus again in itsturncontrolling the wheel G. At the final part of the downward movement thatinclined face of stop c which comes then in contact with the edge oftooth g pressing upon the latter urges the wheel G on a little faster,so as to liberate the pawl 12 from the face of tooth g and bringing thewheel to rest in a position corresponding to that shown in Fig. 4,having advanced, of course, the distance of one tooth. It will thus beseen that the stop 0 not only serves to hold the wheel in positionafterit has been moved, but it also acts as an impelling-pawl toliberate the wheel from the main pawl c and turn it suiliciently tobring it into the exact position re quired after each step.

In practice I find that the best results areobtained when the distancesbetween F and e and between F and d are equal, and when the distancebetween F and c is double the former.

Many modifications may be made in the details without departing from theprinciple of my invention or sacrificing all the advantages thereof.

It is not necessary that the wheel G be mounted upon the minute-handshaft, so that an electric impulse has to be sent over the line everyminute. The wheel may have any other desired number of teeth and theelectric impulses sent at any desired intervals; but in this casesuitable connection will have to be made, either by gearing orotherwise, with the mi nute-hand shaft to propel the hands properly.

In some cases I can dispense with the stop al and use only thepropelling-pawl c and the setting or adjusting pawl or stop 6. 111 thismanner the construction of the device is still more simplified, while atleast some of the advantages of my invention are retained.

I attach considerable importance to the fact that the armature O issuspended in a vertical or nearly vertical plane, because thereby theweight of said armature may be entirely thrown out of consideration inthe construction of the device, so as to leave the weight of the partsswinging on or with the arbor F the only matter to be considered withreference to the strength of the electric current required foroperation, and this weight of the parts carriedby F may be easilyadjusted by slightly increasing or diminishing the quantity of metal orby other well-known means.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination, with a driven wheel, as G,of a rocking lever carrying a pawl capable of engaging with the teeth ofsaid wheel, and two rigid stops arranged to act alternately as retainingmeans for the wheel, one of said stops being so shaped as to act also asan additional impelling-pawl, whereby the wheel is set or adjusted inits final position of rest after each step, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a driven wheel, of a rocking lever carrying apawl and two rigid stops, one of which latter serves also as anadditional impelling-pawl, and of suitable automatic means for impartingmotion to said lever mechanism, all arranged to operate substantially asherein specified.

3. The combination, with magnet 13, vertically-suspended armature O,driven wheel G, and rocking shaft F, of the arm D, having extensions (Zand d, engaging the one with the armature and the other with wheel G,and of arm E, carrying pawl eand stop or projection 6, which latter twoparts act both on wheel G, both arms D and E being carried by the shaftF, and the whole being arranged to operate substantially as hereinspecified.

4. The combination, with a driven wheel, as G, of a rocking levercarrying a pawl ca pable of engaging with the teeth of said wheel, and arigid stop, as 6", arranged to act alternately as a retaining means forthe wheel and as an additional impelling-pawl, whereby the wheel is setor adjusted in its final .position of rest after each step,substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a magnet, 13, vertically-suspended armature G,driven wheel, as G, rock-shaft F, an arm carried on said rock-shaft, asd, with a gravity propellinglever, E, arranged normally in a horizontalplane, its propelling-pawl 6 carried at its vibrating end, and a maincontrollingstop carried upon said lever,substantially as described.

6. The combination of magnet B, vertical armature C, gravity-lever E,carrying pawl c and stop 6 rock-shaft F, carrying lever D, with arms (2and (Z and wheel G, all constructed to operate substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination of magnet B, vertieal ly-arranged armature G, witharm (I, rockshat't F,and bell-crank lever D E,carrying pawl e and stops6 d practically at right angles from their center of motion, foralternately engaging between the teeth of wheel G, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination of magnet 13, vertical armature C, an arm, D (I,mounted on shaft F, a gravity propelling-lever, E, with itspropelling-pawl carried at its vibrating end, and an adjusting stop, allto operate wheel G, substantially as described.

9. The combination of an adjustable electromagnet, an armatureconstructed to engage with an arm arranged upon a rocl -shaft at rightangles, or nearlyso, with a gravity-lever which carries thepropelling-pawl, and main stop for the driving-wheel, substantially asdescribed.

lO. The combination, with driven wheel G and gravity-lever E, carryi ngpropellingpawl 6 near its vibrating end, of a centrally-located adjusting-stop carried upon said lever, a rockshaft, an arm, D, carryingstop (1 and means for operating the same, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the electro-magnet B and vertical armature G,constructed to bear upon an arm carried by the rock-shaft for raising agravity-lever upon which are mounted at its end a propelling-pawl and atits center the main controllingstop, substantially as described.

12. The combination of the magnet B, vertically-arranged armature G, forengaging with an arm, (1, carried by a rock-shaft, a gravitylevercarrying a propelling-pawl at its vibrating end, and a maincontrolling-stop with a vertical arm, D, carrying stop d", substantiallyas described.

13. The combination of an eleetro-magnet, and a vertical lyarrangedarmature constructed to engage with one arm of and vibrate a bellcranklever carried by a roclcshaft, and carrying a propelling-pawl at the endof one of its arms and a stop at the end of its other arm, substantiallyas described.

14. The combination, with driven wheel G and lever E, carryingpropelling-pawl 6 near its vibrating end, o'fa centrally-located adjusting-stop carried upon said lever, a rock-shaft, an arm, D, carryingstop (1, and means for operatin g the same, substantially as described.

15. The combination of eleetro-magnet B and armature O, constructed tobear upon an arm carried by the rock-shaft for operating a lever uponwhich are mounted at its end a propellingpawl and at its center the maincontrollingstop, substantially as described.

16. The combination of an electro-magnet, and an armature constructed toengage with one arm of a bell-crank lever carried by a rockshaft andprovided with a propelling-pawl at the end ot one of its arms anda stopat the end of its other arm, substantially as described.

17. In an electric clock, the combination, with an armature controllingthe hand-moving mechanism, of a magnet and two sets of set-screws,whereby said magnet may be adlatter and carrying stops or pawls whichopjusted in two directions at right angles to each erate the drivenWheel, substantially as de- 10 other, substantially as described.scribed.

18. In an electric clock an electro-mag-net 5 andavertically-arrangedarmature construct- JULIAN CAREY ed so as to engage directly with an armupon Vitnesses: a rockshaft, in combination with said rock- JOSEPH L.LEVY, shaft, and witharms or levers mounted on the A. J. LEHMAN.

